Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #104519

Susan Shepherd, MS, Work Environment, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, 1 University Ave, Lowell, MA 01854, 978-934-3258, susan_sheperd@student.uml.edu and Susan R. Woskie, PhD, Department of Work Environment, University Massachusetts Lowell, One University Avenue, Lowell, MA 01854.

Through a maze of management companies, owners and developers, contractors and subcontractors, workers and unions, it is often difficult to determine who is responsible for overseeing the control of health hazards on the construction site. The construction industry's organizational structure serves the industry's requirements for flexibility and mobility but may hamper consistency in the day-to-day working conditions of employees. Even within the same trade, equipment, work practices and safety and health controls may differ significantly between work sites and among contractors. Using an intervention matrix developed to characterize ergonomic interventions in construction, this case study examines the process of implementing a dust control on drills used for cutting concrete which generates hazardous respirable silica dust. The matrix is a tool for documenting factors under the broad categories of organizational, external, technical and individual actions. Qualitative field methods were used to collect the data. This presentation focuses on the organizational factors that may contribute to or hinder the implementation of new controls on a multibillion dollar construction site.

Learning Objectives: